Project R-14110

A network of change: predation on human disease vectors by mangrove fishes and the role of fisheries and parasitic infections (Research)

Mangrove forests are breeding grounds for saltwater-tolerant mosquitoes transmitting malaria and lymphatic filariasis. The role of these habitats in enhancing or controlling these disease vectors remains unclear, yet vector predation by fishes has been suggested as a potential ecosystem service. Here, we aim to resolve whether mangroves increase or decrease disease transmission using publicly available global prevalence data of these diseases. Furthermore, mangrove forests, like many marine ecosystems, are threatened by overfishing. We hypothesise that overfishing alters feeding behaviour in targeted fishes and, therefore, affect feeding rates and health. These effects cause cascading effects in macroparasites, which in turn may also affect predation rates. We will test direct and indirect effects by collecting fishes and mosquitoes in the Saloum Delta National Park (Senegal) in- and outside of a marine protected area. We assess mosquito communities pre-ingestion through traps and post-ingestion through gut content analyses and predation rate experiments. We will measure health indices and screen the parasites of all fishes. The project will be the first to investigate a potential link between human pathogens and mangrove ecosystems. Furthermore, we will be the first to assess fisheries impact on disease vectors and to quantify vector predation using high-throughput DNA sequencing.

01 October 2023 - 30 September 2026